Players, take note. You want the ultimate keyboard instrument for performing and creating? We've put it all together for you. Exceptional quality instrument sounds. A piano sound to die for. A truly realistic, naturally expressive keyboard. Convenient, comprehensive control.
Real-time controls for tweaking of the sound as you play. Audio recording to USB memory. Extensive computer music features. Ease of use, plus compact size and portability. Introducing the S90 XS and S70 XS Music Synthesizer.
Designed specifically for players, particularly those who want the highest quality piano sounds and expression, the S90 XS/S70 XS is a performer's dream.
Yet, casual players and hobby musicians will appreciate the exquisite sounds, advanced features and superb playability just as much as top professional artists.

Features

Sounds That Satisfy

The best musical instruments start with top-quality sounds, and the S90 XS delivers all that — and more. The S Series features all the Voices, Performances, arps and Virtual Circuit Modeling effects found on the flagship MOTIF XS Music Production Synthes...

Features

Sounds That Satisfy

The best musical instruments start with top-quality sounds, and the S90 XS delivers all that — and more. The S Series features all the Voices, Performances, arps and Virtual Circuit Modeling effects found on the flagship MOTIF XS Music Production Synthesizer. Plus we've added a huge 142 megabytes dedicated exclusively to high-quality piano waveforms, for a total of 456 MB of instrument samples.

Foremost among these new piano sounds are the new samples taken from Yamaha's world-renowned S6 concert grand piano. These fully capture the richly textured sound of that wonderfully expressive instrument, and provide a warm concert grand piano sound unavailable on any other keyboard. For variation, the MOTIF XS piano based on a Yamaha CFIIIS is also available.

Conventional keyboards in the past had their sounds designed primarily for the listener. This time, however, our development team set out to primarily satisfy the player instead. We reasoned that when the performer hears and experiences the best possible sound, the performance would be the best possible, too! The result? The S90 XS is a genuine musician's instrument, one that truly inspires and stimulates the live performer as well as the music creator and arranger.

Streamline Your Performance

The S90 XS also lets you quickly and conveniently create your own custom Performances, with the amazingly fast and easy Performance Creator feature. It's never been easier to select a Voice, then quickly program Layers and Splits — even assigning a Drum Voice complete with arps to create your perfect Performance.

Let's say that you're playing a piano Voice and you want to layer a string sound on top of it. Simply press the [LAYER] button, then select the desired Voice category and Voice, and store your new Performance — just a few button presses and you're there!

The S90 XS gives you comprehensive, easy-to-use controls for your Performances as well—such as Octave and Transpose buttons for quickly changing the pitch, and a Tap Tempo button that lets you easily change the tempo of Arpeggio or MIDI sequence playback on the fly. You can assign virtually any parameter on the instrument to one of the Assignable Function buttons (using the S90 XS Voice Editor) and switch the parameter as you play — for example, turning specific sound elements of a Voice on or off. Moreover, the instrument lets you route a click sound to one of the assignable outputs. With this you could let your drummer hear just the click sound and lock into your Arpeggio or MIDI playback.

Ideal for Live Performers

The S90 XS has a host of other features that live performers will appreciate — such as the combo input jack that accepts both mic and instrument input. Simply plug in a microphone or guitar, tweak the INPUT GAIN knob (while checking the convenient PEAK lamp), and you're all set! Plus, you can use the Control Knobs to finely adjust the volume and even directly apply reverb or chorus to the sound.

In the heat of live performance, the last thing you want is to have to search for a much-needed panel control—or worse yet press the wrong button and get a rude, unexpected sound change. That's why all the panel controls of the S90 XS have been designed and positioned for optimum, intuitive operation, especially for live performance. For example, you can quickly select a Part, turn it on/off, set Arpeggio on/off, switch Arpeggio Hold — all done easily with the top panel controls — and instantly tweak important sound parameters like reverb, filter and sustain via the Knobs and Sliders. And to prevent that dreaded sound change, there's a convenient Panel Lock button that instantly disables (or enables) the panel controls.

Recording Direct to USB Memory

If you've got a USB memory stick or thumb drive, you can plug it into the S90 XS and record your performance as audio data. This remarkable feature lets you instantly capture what you play on the keyboard—including arpeggio playback—to your USB device. If you've connected a microphone or guitar, you can even record your singing or playing as well. You can also record audio directly to the internal flash memory (192 MB) built into the instrument, without the need of a memory stick.

And keep in mind that anything you've recorded to the memory stick, even audio files created on your computer, can be played back on the S90 XS — which means you can create your own custom audio backing tracks and perform along with them on the S90 XS. For example, you can create a basic song track beforehand, then sing and solo over it during your performance. Or add guitar parts and vocal harmonies to be played back with your live performance. There's also a useful Song Chain function that lets you string together separate recordings and create a convenient backing track "set list" for your gigs.

88 Keyboard

The S90 XS is a perfect companion for your computer music production system, too, serving both as a master keyboard and a full-function, multi-timbral tone generator. With the DAW Remote function and its 50 different control templates, you get amazingly easy, intuitive control over your main DAW software and VST instruments — directly from the panel controls! Special Remote Editor software lets you change and organize these templates.

Computer Control

The S90 XS is a perfect companion for your computer music production system, too, serving both as a master keyboard and a full-function, multi-timbral tone generator. With the DAW Remote function and its 50 different control templates, you get amazingly easy, intuitive control over your main DAW software and VST instruments — directly from the panel controls! Special Remote Editor software lets you change and organize these templates.

Cubase AI—a powerful and versatile audio/MIDI sequencer—is included with the instrument, giving you complete music production capabilities right out of the box. And for editing the S90 XS from your computer, there's the S90 XS Voice Editor. This provides convenient, comprehensive control over absolutely all the sounds, settings and functions of the S90 XS.

Technology

Audio & Video

Yamaha Synth Book

Yamaha celebrates over 40 years of Yamaha Synthesizers with the "Yamaha Synth Book" iOS app. Yamaha Synth Book features a complete history of Yamaha Synthesizers, AN2015: an integrated virtual analog softsynth, Music Remixer: a DJ audio phrase performance app, and serves as a portal to Yamaha's online synth communities.

Voice Editor Essential is a simple Core MIDI iPad editor application to edit parameters in Yamaha synthesizers.
The editor focuses on detailed editing of insert effects, system effects, arpeggiator and EQ that are frequently modified and can take advantage of the iPad’s large graphic display. In addition to that, you can control parameters like EG or cutoff in real-time by using fader control or XY Pad. Some essential global parameters including tap tempo and volume control are also included.

Performance Editor Essential is a Core MIDI application that enables you to edit the performances of a Yamaha synthesizer from your iPad.
You can configure the MEQ and effects, which are often used in editing, in addition to arpeggiator settings, voice combinations, and each voice's key range. Performance Editor Essential also has an XY pad for controlling parameters in real time. You can also control the tap tempo and volume.

Multi Editor Essential is a Core MIDI application which gives you all the tools you need to mix your songs and patterns of Yamaha synthesizer on your iPad.
You can control volume, pan, chorus send and reverb send for each part as well as detailed editing of the mix effects and the master EQ. You can also control the transport sections of sequencer.

Set List Organizer can be used to edit and display the set list for a live performance. It's a must-have application for any musician. Set List Organizer is a Core MIDI application that can send MIDI program change messages for each song in a live performance from your iPad to a synthesizer or other devices. You can use Set List Organizer to write detailed notes for each song.

Faders & XY Pad is a Core MIDI application that controls external MIDI devices by sending MIDI control change messages from your iPad. 8 faders each with up to 3 control change parameters can be assigned for each of 50 templates. A unique XY-Pad mode let’s you control multiple faders by flicking a ball that bounces off the sides of the XY grid for vector synthesis type control. This application offers unique new ways for sonically tweaking the synthesizer.

The iOS version of the world-renowned TENORI-ON brings you a completely new musical interface. Even if you don't know much about music, you can create music intuitively as if you were arranging sounds in space. The music that you see on the 16 × 16 grid of buttons is the music that is performed.

On the 16 × 16 grid of buttons, basically, the horizontal direction is time, and the vertical direction is pitch.By laying sounds on these buttons, you can combine rhythms and melodies to produce music. A button will glow when its sound is produced. The movements of the glowing lights produce a visual performance.

TNR-i can produce 16 types of sounds at the same time (16 layers), and it can remember up to 16 song patterns produced using those sounds (16 blocks). By switching between song patterns in real time, you can produce a rich variety of musical expressions.
There are six different types of performance modes that you can select for each layer. You can make elaborate music by combining different modes. In score mode, the most fundamental of the modes, you can arrange sounds horizontally (temporally) and vertically (by pitch). In the exciting random mode, the sounds that you arrange are not just played in order—the melody and rhythm constantly change as twists are added. In draw mode, you can perform music by tracing your finger across the buttons as if drawing a picture. In bounce mode, the glowing lights are like bouncing balls that produce sound when they fall. In push mode, you can continuously change the sound as you perform. In solo mode, which is fun for solo performances, you can easily adjust the speed of repetition and the pitch.

Cloud Audio Recorder allows you to record the sound of musical instruments to your iOS devices via the built-in microphone.
The recorded data can be normalized, trimmed and signal processed on the iOS devices. Recorded data can be freely uploaded to or downloaded from SoundCloud. Also you can copy & paste your sound to another iOS apps.

No matter what level of musical ability Yamaha’s Metronome is easy to use. Whether you’re a drummer, guitarist, pianist, producer, DJ, student, teacher or a live performer, in music timing is everything.

The latest version of Synth Arp & Drum Pad that lets you create fabulous phrases and beats of your own design! It's more powerful than ever with these new features.
- Audiobus support (input only) (V1.2.0)
- Perform an audio mixdown of recorded songs (V1.1.0)
- Audio library (compatible with SoundCloud and AudioCopy) (V1.1.0)
- An additional 19 tones and 24 arpeggiator patterns (V1.1.0)

There are 366 arppegiator patterns that can play phrases from all kinds of music genres like dance music, hip-hop, rock, pops, with one finger. The app has an internal synthesizer with 80 high-quality voices including 13 drum kits so you can hear the output as you play. You can save your phrases by recording them in an easy-to-use loop sequencer. You can freely modify the tonal qualities of the sound even after recording.

* This application is Core MIDI compatible. Wi-Fi communication possible with Yamaha MOTIF XF (body version 1.2 or above) Alternatively, use the MIDI Interface i-MX1 or i-UX1 to communicate with all MIDI devices.
* A USB Wi-Fi adaptor, sold separately, is necessary for Wi-Fi communications.

Compatible instruments:

iPad (3rd/1st generation), iPad2 (2nd generation)
* For best performance, we recommend that you use iPad2 or later.

Visual Performer is a new type of application for graphically visualizing your musical performance from any MIDI device. A variety of built-in animations respond to the pitch and velocity from your instrument. It's a great way to add cool imagery to your performances!

Compatible instruments:

iPad (3rd/1st generation), iPad2 (2nd generation)
* For best performance, we recommend that you use iPad2 or later.

Faders is a Core MIDI application that controls external MIDI devices by sending MIDI control change messages from your iPhone, iPad and iPod touch.
4 sliders each with up to 3 control change parameters can be assigned for each of 50 templates. This application offers unique new ways for sonically tweaking the synthesizer.
In V1.3.0, we've added a firmware update feature of Yamaha i-MX1. For more details, please refer to the product page of i-MX1.

When I was shopping for a keyboard my main concern was getting whatever sounded and felt the most like an acoustic grand piano. I had a hunch that a Yamaha product would take the cake since they make some beautiful sounding concert grand pianos and I was right. I tested this baby out along with several other keyboards at my local music shop and It sounded incredible! So responsive! And the action feels so realistic! Needless to say, I was sold. LIttle did I know, this keyboard is also an extensive synthesizer with all sorts of convenient features for recording on a DAW, controlling MIDI, and performing live completely independently! I wish I could afford a second one so that I could keep one at home and one at my friend's studio where I often am, because this thing sucks pack around. It's quite large and heavy. But that is literally my only complaint!!

I also own a Roland RD700 NX and purchased the Yamaha S90 XS about a year afterwards. The keyboard action is a tad lighter on the S90XS which is favorable for my 62 year old fingers. The large difference between the boards is the 7000 some preset intelligent chord and drum arpeggios that come with the S90 XS. You can save a set of 5 of the arpeggio with a Performance setup and switch between the arps for use as an intro, section A, etc. and ending. This makes using the S90 XS as the only piece of hardware you need for a one man band act very feasible. I also have an IPAD and use the editor apps to create Voice and Performance setups. However I haven't found using the small screen on the S90 XS a problem as some people have commented in reviews. I'm working now on creating an album of dozen original songs using just the features of the S90 XS. I've integrated the S90 XS into my home DAW setup and now using it for daily practice also.